What Exactly is Biodynamic Food?

Just when you were starting to understand the difference between organic, all natural, and non-GMO products, a new food label decided to make its grand entrance...

By
April Benshosan

October 20, 2016

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What Exactly is Biodynamic Food?

Just when you were starting to understand the difference between organic, all natural, and non-GMO products, a new food label decided to make its grand entrance...

ByApril BenshosanOctober 20, 2016

Food slapped with “biodynamic” stickers and labels are popping up on supermarket shelves across the nation. But what the heck does the new buzzword even mean? Should you ignore it or are these products literally the next best things since sliced bread? The answer is yes—to both.

Biodynamic foods are those made with ingredients that have been grown in an über-environmentally friendly and sustainable way. Biodynamic farming practices are all about healing the planet through agriculture by ensuring that the farm-to-plate process is as holistic and ethical as humanly possible. These specialized farms house free-range livestock, use fish-friendly irrigation systems, natural fertilizers and pesticides, and even plant and harvest according to the celestial calendar. This system allows farmers to maximize the quality of the entire farm’s ecosystem so that the farms are self-sustaining—which basically means that these awesome operations don’t require much more than their own resources. Talk about self-made!

So should you definitely be boarding the biodynamic bandwagon? Buying biodynamic foods is a great way to practice environmental stewardship and is worth going the extra mile for—but only if you’re super eco-friendly. Beyond the typical benefits of eating organic food (which are plentiful!), there aren’t any major additional health perks. Both organic and biodynamic foods are free of synthetic pesticides, chemicals, fertilizers, added hormones, and GMOs, so their nutritional profiles are immensely higher than traditionally grown foods but relatively equal to one another.

Eat This! Tip

Demeter Association Inc., aptly named after the Greek goddess of agriculture and harvest, is the international nonprofit dedicated to legally certifying biodynamic farms. They’re the ones behind plastering foods with the artsy biodynamic label, which you can find at Whole Foods locations nationwide! Be sure to look for their seal of approval if you want to start adding biodynamic fare to your diet.

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